Clinical Trials

Walnuts include many potentially beneficial micronutrients and phytochemicals, in this study we propose to examine the effects of walnuts independent of macronutrient content. The purpose of this proposal is to study in depth the short-term effects of walnut consumption in men and women with the metabolic syndrome.

Study Aim 1: To investigate the effects of walnuts (48gms per day over 3 days) on insulin resistance in subjects with the metabolic syndrome.

Study Aim 2: To investigate the effects of 48gms per day of walnuts over 3 days on lipids and inflammatory markers.

Study Aim 3: To assess the possible mechanisms of the biological effects of short-term walnut consumption through assessment of adipokines, resting metabolic rate, gene expression in white blood cells and the effect of walnuts when consumed as part of a mixed meal, on glucose excursions, insulin secretion and the excretion of gut peptides and free fatty acids.

Patients who undergo PET-CT scans to look for cancer are given an intravenous contrast (FDG) that is taken-up by active cells such as cancer cells. This contrast can then be seen in the body using the PET-CT scanner. However, cells in the colon also take up the FDG, and can produce "false positive" signals from the colon. Our hypothesis is that much of this signal comes from bacteria that are present in high concentrations in the colon. If this is the case, using an antibiotic to suppress the activity of bacteria may improve the ability of PET-CT to distinguish abnormal cells from normal cells in the colon.

The investigators hypothesize that PSC in children is associated with mutations and functional changes of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is effective in the treatment of periodontitis in adults.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others, such as yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan, find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Giving rituximab together with yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan may kill more cancer cells.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving rituximab together with yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan works in treating patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The purpose of this study is to test the safety of an investigational Dendritic Cell/Tumor Fusion vaccine given with IL-12 for patients with breast cancer.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's tumor cells and white blood cells may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-12 may stimulate the white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Giving vaccine therapy together with interleukin-12 may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of interleukin-12 when given together with vaccine therapy and to see how well they work in treating women with stage IV breast cancer.

The purpose of this study is to test whether a supervised mixed aerobic and strength training (MAST) program is effective in improving overall physical fitness and blood flow in the brain and lowering risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women with metabolic syndrome.

This study will examine the effectiveness of the FibroScan device in differentiating fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B and C. The FibroScan measures liver stiffness and will be correlated to the liver biopsy to see if it can diagnose the stage of liver disease. Patients who are scheduled to have a liver biopsy will also have a fibroscan and the stiffness will be correlated with the biopsy stage.

The purpose of this research study is to help us to better understand how leptin regulates blood sugar levels. Leptin is a recently discovered hormone, which is made in fat cells. Leptin is secreted by fat and acts as a signal to the brain to decrease appetite and influences how the body regulates blood sugar levels. A synthetic form of leptin (A-100), an investigational drug and has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will be administered to participants in this study. The expected duration of your participation is 3 study visits, which will be spread over 3-4 weeks.

This study involves having fat and muscle biopsies after receiving leptin under local anesthesia in the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), surgical unit, and/or Endocrinology exam room at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The researchers aim to study the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on chronic visceral pain in patients with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis.

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of thiamine therapy on oxygen consumption (VO2) in critically-ill patients. We will evaluate this by measuring VO2 before and after thiamine or placebo administration in patients admitted to the ICU and requiring mechanical ventilation. A secondary aim is to evaluate the effect of thiamine vs. placebo on the metabolic profile of the patients.

The purpose of the study is to target inflammation to reduce progression of noncalcified plaque in the coronary arteries using omega-3 fatty acid supplementation compared to standard of care.

This study will look at the effect of exenatide, a drug which has been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, on body weight, appetite and energy expenditure among moderately obese women without diabetes.

The study is 35 weeks long and includes 19 outpatient visits. Participants will receive exenatide for 16 weeks and placebo for 16 weeks with a 3 week rest period in between. Neither participants nor investigators will know whether exenatide or placebo is being administered. Participants will be started randomly on either exenatide or placebo.

Our hypothesis is that treatment with exenatide will curb appetite and lead to weight loss and may lead to changes in energy expenditure.

The current study is a continuation of the 5 year extension study of the phase III CHAMPS study (see reference). This study was designed to determine if immediate initiation of therapy with Interferon Beta-1a (AVONEX) after a first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS) continues to delay the development of further attacks (CDMS) and the development of neurological disability over a 10 year period of observation. The initial 5 year extension study, called CHAMPIONS5, reported that immediate initiation of interferon Beta-1a (AVONEX) after a first attack of MS continued to delay the development of CDMS and lowered relapse rates compared to delayed initiation of disease modifying treatment (usually with AVONEX) either at the time of a second attack or at the end of the phase III study (24 months). The study was extended to 10 years to determine if these effects are sustained and result in less long term permanent disability.

A purpose of this protocol is to is to compare the metabolites of the toxic bioactivating pathway after acetaminophen alone or acetaminophen followed by Propylene Glycol (PG) and to determine if it prevents the formation of the toxic metabolites of acetaminophen.

The purpose of this study is to collect data while monitoring muscles and nerves during spine surgery. The data being collected and analyzed will be used to learn more about how the body's nerves and muscles are distributed and develop a map of human muscle innervation patterns.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS)is a common disease and is suspected to be associated with sexual dysfunction. Our purpose is to sudy the effect of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) treatment on patients' sexual dysfunction by measuring testosterone levels before and after CPAP treatments.

The aim of this study is to evaluate a simple and rapid method in order to better define and treat Polymyalgia Rheumatica by measuring levels of muscle achiness and pain with a blood pressure cuff.

The aim of the study is to assess the effect of short-term infusion of ketamine at analgesic dosage on the immune response, morbidity and mortality among patients suffering from septic shock. We hypothesize that ketamine will modulate the cytokine response to sepsis and reduce morbidity and mortality.

RATIONALE: Massage therapy may help relieve symptoms associated with cancer. It is not yet known which type of massage therapy is more effective in treating the symptoms of patients with cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying different types of massage therapy to compare how well they work in treating the symptoms of patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer.

The main purpose of this study is to assess factors mediating the changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance before and after 10 lbs ± or 2% weight loss reduction as well as 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after initiation of a low calorie diet.

The investigators will also study the following:

The impact of diet induced weight loss on hormones/adipokine levels

The impact of diet induced weight loss on leptin tolerance

Specific Aim #1: To determine if levels of CoQ10 are low post-cardiac arrest (CA). We will perform a prospective trial with the primary endpoint of describing the prevalence of low serum CoQ10 levels.

Specific Aim #2: To determine if CoQ10 levels in post-CA patients can be increased with the administration of exogenous CoQ10.. We will perform a randomized control trial (RCT) of post-CA patients with the secondary endpoint of comparing CoQ10 levels among those randomized to CoQ10 supplementation vs placebo.

The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the effects of a prebiotic (Trametes Versicolor), a probiotic (Saccharomyces boulardii) and an antibiotic (amoxicillin) on the gut microbiota of healthy volunteers. It is expected that treatment will result in the rapid and reproducible alterations in fecal microbiota that will spontaneously reverse in the weeks after treatment is discontinued.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of individual characteristics, life stresses, and relationships over time on psychosocial outcomes (e.g. marriage, parenting, work) and physical health

The study objective is to assess the long term safety and effectiveness of Enteryx device in commercial use. The long-term effects beyond one year of treatment with Enteryx have not been established.

The purpose of this study is to gather data to see if the Laser Cane and/or U-Step Walker with laser accessory is more effective in aiding with gait freezing than a regular cane/U-Step Walker in patients who have idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

In this study Peg-Intron will be tested to see if it will give better results than Colchicine. At this time, there is currently no recommended maintenance treatment for patients who have failed to respond to Interferon/Rebetron/Peg Intron and have advanced fibrosis. The purpose of this study is to compare two treatments to slow down the progression of liver disease and to prevent liver failure and liver cancer. The treatment will not cure Hepatitis C, but is being evaluated to see if it can slow down disease progression.

The purpose of the study is to determine the opiate sparing effects of intravenously administered dexamethasone in outpatient knee surgery. Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid with well known antiemetic effects. However, the analgesic effects of dexamethasone have not been adequately researched. Following surgery, patients are typically discharged home with PO opiates to manage post-operative pain. The investigators believe that by using VAS (Visual Analog Scale) for Pain the investigators can show that a single dose of dexamethasone can reduce pain scales and opiate consumption post-operatively, on Post Operative Day (POD 1) when compared to placebo.

The investigators seek to examine the effect of add-on N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) in the early phase of schizophrenia spectrum illness in collaboration with researchers Kim Do, PhD, and Philippe Conus, MD in Switzerland. Modifications of brain structure are thought to occur during the pre-illness phase and around the transition to psychosis. Therefore, studying new treatments that could target changes occurring during this period is of critical importance.

Aims:

Does add-on NAC treatment in early psychosis influence:

positive and negative symptoms

extrapyramidal side-effects of other medication

plasma concentration of glutathione

Mismatch Negativity, a physiological marker

This study looks at the potential benefits of combining cognitive training (mental exercises) together with transcranial magnetic stimulation (also known as TMS) to see if this can make a difference in the condition of people with Alzheimer's disease by improving their disease and the cognitive decline that goes along with it.

The purpose of the study is to see if administering intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (putting immune globulin directly into your blood) helps to improve the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension (sudden fall in blood pressure when a person stands up) and quality of life in men and women who have autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG).

Malnutrition is an important complication of advanced kidney disease and impairment in smell and taste may affect nutritional status. This study will examine the association between impairment in smell and taste and nutritional and functional markers among patients with end stage renal disease, as well as risk factors for smell and taste impairment.

Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is a complex mechanism that serves the essential and vital purpose of controlling cerebral blood flow and metabolism. A stable and optimal brain blood flow is imperative for normal brain function. Diabetes Mellitus (DM ) is associated with microvascular disease that alters CA and also with autonomic failure that may lead to orthostatic hypotension (OH). These conditions may lead to decreased brain blood flow in upright position. This observational study will compare two technologies that evaluate brain blood flow during standing up and other maneuvers in people with and without type 2 diabetes. These technologies are transcranial Doppler and UTLight technology (CerOx). This study will determine the safety and feasibility of CerOx technology for continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow.

The purpose of this protocol is to develop and test optimal delivery of aerosol furosemide, a treatment that has the potential to significantly improve symptom management and enhance the quality of care for patients with intractable dyspnea.

Simvastatin will attenutat IL-6 levels and lead to a more rapid shock reversal than placebo

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether we can purify and grow a population of cells from the participants blood (iNKT cells) and then safely give them back to the participant in increased numbers, and whether these cells will then stimulate the bodies own immune response against the cancer. These iNKT cells have been used in laboratory studies and information from these and other research studies suggest that increasing the number of these cells in the blood can stimulate the immune response against tumors.

The purpose of this study will be to determine whether giving leptin (r-metHuLeptin) to a person when he or she is fasting will reverse changes in metabolism, and hormone levels, and immune function associated with fasting, which decreases leptin levels.

The primary aim of this protocol is to determine whether the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over vermis of the cerebellum may be safe and therapeutically effective in patients with schizophrenia. Because this is the first evaluation of this treatment in this population, the focus of this study is safety.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if cyclic adjunctive progesterone supplement is superior to placebo in the treatment of intractable seizures in women with and without catamenial epilepsy.

The main purpose of this study is to help us understand the effects of diabetes medication Liraglutide on weight loss and hunger. The investigators have already determined what the highest tolerated dose of Liraglutide is through earlier human research studies. Liraglutide was approved by the FDA in January 2010 for treatment of diabetes.

The investigators will also study the following:

The impact of Liraglutide on brain responses to food

It's effect on physiological and mental performance

If its effect on the brain differs among obese and lean diabetic subjects.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) refers to a family of genetic diseases that cause progressive problems with gait and balance, as well as other debilitating symptoms. This is a randomized controlled pilot study to test a novel therapeutic intervention that uses noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation to improve functional outcomes in patients with SCA. The study will include quantitative evaluations of gait, balance, and brain physiology to examine possible objective end-points for a future, larger multi-site clinical trial. The investigators anticipate that patients receiving the real intervention will show a functional gain.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a very effective, long-acting method of contraception. In order to make them accessible to women, health care providers must be trained to insert them. Physicians, physician assistant, and nurse practitioners often learn how to do so by first learning about IUDs, then practicing on a model that the IUD manufacturer provides.

Educators have recently been using more sophisticated models to teach clinical skills such as surgical procedures. We are investigating whether these models may be more useful in teaching IUD insertion.

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that patients with non-neuropathic POTS will have different responsiveness than patients with neuropathic POTS to direct alpha-1 adrenoreceptor agonist therapy (droxidopa) and to non-selective beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist therapy (atenolol).

The specific goal of this protocol is to investigate the effect of atenolol and droxidopa on cardiovascular autonomic functions such as cardiovagal control, sympathetic nerve activity, and sympathetic vascular transduction, systemic hemodynamic response to orthostatic stress and on the quality of life in neuropathic and non-neuropathic patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Standardized tests are used to assess cardiovagal control function, sympathetic nerve activity, sympathetic vascular transduction, systemic hemodynamic response to head-up tilt test and standardized questionnaires to assess the quality of life in patients with POTS.

The cardiovagal, sympathetic and hemodynamic measurements are performed after and during drug administration. To control the effect of medications placebo is used on separate testing visits. The order of drugs and placebo is randomized.

The major goal of this project is to determine whether the use of physiologic doses of corticosteroids will decrease time to shock reversal, alters the inflammatory cascade, and alters microcirculatory flow in post-cardiac arrest patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of an investigational medication called leptin (r-metHuLeptin) in replacement doses can improve bone health, reproductive function, hormone levels, immune function, and overall sense of well-being in women with hypothalamic (exercise-induced) amenorrhea (HA) who are being treated with oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), compared to placebo. Women with hypothalamic amenorrhea have low leptin levels. This study is based on the hypothesis that the relative leptin deficiency in women with hypothalamic (exercise-induced) amenorrhea may be the reason for the lack of menstrual cycles, hormone abnormalities, and bone loss associated with this condition.

The major goal of this project is to determine whether the use of thiamine in patients with septic shock will result in attenuation of lactic acidosis and a more rapid reversal of shock.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether replacing leptin to normal levels can reverse the changes in fat distribution, lipid profile, and other metabolic problems associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-induced lipodystrophy and metabolic syndrome in HIV patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether excipients in the liquid formulation of acetaminophen prevent the formation of the toxic metabolites of acetaminophen.

The purpose of this study is to determine if deep brain stimulation can change brain oxygen levels in people with Parkinson's Disease. Measurements will be taken using a non-invasive device while subjects are both on and off their medications, and while their stimulator is in the on and off setting.

This randomized controlled trial is designed to test the feasibility and efficacy of a novel 10-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on weight maintenance as well as behavioral and psychosocial outcomes in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.

Primary hypothesis:

Bariatric patients who have stopped losing weight (< 5 lbs weight loss in past month) 1-5 years post-surgery will be willing to participate in this 10-week intervention. The investigators expect a high adherence rate (>70%) and no issues with meeting recruitment goals.

Secondary hypotheses:

Patients assigned to the MBI will show greater improvement in a) weight control (defined by differences in body weight between baseline and follow-up); b) eating behaviors (binge eating, emotional eating); and c) psychosocial measures (quality of life, depression, perceived stress, eating self-efficacy, coping ability) than a standard lifestyle intervention (1 hr lifestyle counseling).

Patients assigned to the MBI intervention will show greater improvement in biomarkers of stress and inflammation [salivary cortisol, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)] as compared with a standard lifestyle intervention.

Food-related attentional bias as measured by the food-related Stroop task will be differentially affected among patients assigned to the MBI as compared with the intensive lifestyle intervention and standard lifestyle intervention.